


Happiness?

by ExecutiveNerd



Series: Stories of Thedas [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 20:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18268784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExecutiveNerd/pseuds/ExecutiveNerd
Summary: Inquisitor Sienna Trevelyan has a hard time coming to terms with the emotions swirling inside of her.Prompt Fic: Person A: What? What is this feeling I’m having? It’s as if all my problems have magically disappeared and I am content and cheerful. Person B: Happiness, it’s called happiness. Person A: Happiness? Are you sure? I thought that was just a myth.





	Happiness?

Sienna found herself wandering the halls of Skyhold, though it was the middle of the night, the halls were still abuzz with activity. She passed guards, nobles and other members of her team, all of whom were up late gossiping, working, or avoiding their own nightmares. She wasn’t quite sure where she fell on the spectrum, but she knew that sleep wasn’t happening. 

She made her way through the main hall; the voices blurring around her; she made her way past Solas, who had his head so buried in a book he didn’t notice her, and went up the stairs to find Dorian. She found him exactly where she thought she would, sat neatly in his big comfy chair, a book propped open on his lap and a look of disgust on his face. “Nothing interesting?” Sienna asked, leaning against the wall. 

“Never,” He responded, setting the book aside and motioning for her to join him in the small space. 

She took a seat in front of him, crossing her legs. “I will try to find more interesting stuff for you while I am out.” 

“Promise?” 

“Promise.” 

“I will hold you to that dear,” he said, brushing her long curls out with his fingers. “How do you deal with all of this unruly hair?” 

“I usually keep it up,” she said, shaking her head so all of her curls shook around her. 

“I can see why,” he said, continuing to play with her hair. Once, he had run his fingers through most of her hair, she felt him start to pull strands back into a braid. “So what brings you to my part of the woods this late night?” 

“I couldn’t sleep, and I knew you’d be up,” she said, fidgeting with the bracelet she had on her wrist. 

“I would think you would enjoy the comfort of a bed after your many weeks of sleeping on the ground,” Dorian said. “There must be something bothering you.” 

“Nothing is bothering me per se. I feel weird being back at Skyhold, it feels too safe like everything is going to be okay. I don’t like it,” she said. 

“I see,” Dorian said. “You are having one of those oh so rare feelings.”

“What? What is this feeling I am having?” she asked, turning around to face him.

“What does it feel like?” 

“I feel... I feel as if all of my problems have magically disappeared, or at least diminished. I am content, cheerful even,” Siena said, concern filling her voice. She was used to being on edge, not trusting anybody around her, but this she didn’t know how to handle. “What is it?” 

“I think it’s happiness. Yes, that's what it's called, happiness,” he said, a huge grin spreading across his face. 

Sienna considered the words for a moment. Was that really what was happening? Happiness? “Are you sure? I thought happiness was a myth?” 

“It doesn’t happen as often as it should, but when you are surrounded by friends and people who care about you, it’s hard not to be happy. It can be scary, but it’s usually a good thing. Plus, crushing as hard on somebody as you are, tends to make people giddy and happy,” he said with a wink. 

Sienna sat there for a moment digesting everything he had said. She was used to carrying the burdens of the world on her own, and she didn’t know how she felt about this whole letting people help her thing, but it was something to think on. It was his last words though, that took a moment to sink in, “I am telling you now, I absolutely do not have a crush on Cullen.” 

“I don’t think I ever said who I was talking about?” he said.

“I...uh...I-I...That’s not fair!” Sienna said, feeling her cheeks heat. She absolutely, one hundred percent did not have a crush on Cullen. He was just a friend, and her commander, nothing more. 

“You are so cute when you are flustered,” he said, pushing her nose like a button. He flung himself back in his chair, investigating his nails. “I don’t know what you are still doing here. Go find your commander.” 

“It’s the middle of the night, Dorian. He is most likely asleep,” she said, trying to ignore the increased pitch of her voice. 

“The commander never sleeps,” Dorian said. “Now I, on the other hand, need my beauty sleep. So you better scurry away whether or not it be to your commander.” He waved his hands towards the exit. She tried to give him a dirty look, but got up anyway, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off. “Just don’t have too much fun with me!” he hollered after her. 

 

She continued her trek through Skyhold, Dorian’s words echoing in her ears. Happy? Crush? What did it all mean? She needed to focus on the war, on the rift in the sky, not happiness or crushes. She made her way outside, and on to the battlements, enjoying the view of the mountains on one side, and the fort they had managed to put together on the other. There were guards stationed about, mostly chatting or playing cards, but she knew that if anything were to happen, they would be ready in a moments notice, and she didn’t feel like crushing morale by yelling at them. 

She slowly made her way around, nodding at the passerbys, and turning down an offer for drinks as she passed an unruly group outside of the tavern. She turned the final corner before Cullen’s office, debating on whether or not she was going to bug him, when she saw him leaning against the wall, staring out towards the mountains. His hair was extra unruly, sticking up in every which direction, he had cloth pants on and a loose tunic, at least it looked like he had tried to sleep. “Cullen,” she called, as she got closer to him. 

He stiffened at his name being called, and was pushing away from the wall and standing at attention in a matter of seconds, doing everything short of saluting to show his respect, “Inquisitor!” 

“At ease commander,” she said. “I was just walking around. Couldn’t sleep.” 

“Me neither,” he said, relaxing. He went back to his spot on the wall, and she joined him, there shoulders just barely touching. 

“It may sound silly, but I am so used to sleeping out there that sleeping in my room with the cushy bed is difficult,” she told him. 

“I understand. I spend more days sleeping at my desk than my actual bed,” he said. 

“Nightmares?” she asked, looking over at him. He didn’t meet her eyes, staring out in front of him instead, but the exhaustion was clear on his face.

“Nightmares,” he agreed. “If I wait until exhaustion takes over me, instead of falling asleep on my own terms, they aren’t as bad. It’s not healthy, but I don’t sleep either way.” 

“I would tell you, you should sleep more, but that would make me a hypocrite,” she said. He looked over at her, finally meeting her eyes. “But we can keep each other company when we can’t sleep.” 

“Sounds good to me,” he said, an actual smile coming to his face. She knew she shouldn’t be sitting here in the middle of the night flirting with her commander, but his smile warmed her to her core, and she knew right then that she would do anything to make him smile like that. 

She rested her head on his shoulder, and shifted her hand slightly closer to him, pleased when he took it upon himself to intertwine them. They stood there like that, making idle conversations until the first signs of the morning started to peek up from the horizon. She felt comfortable, and content just standing there with him. Was Dorian right? Was this what happiness was?

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small fic, trying to get better at posting things even if I don't think they are perfect.


End file.
